I guess with all of the fun I have I need to tag my post as being serious...lol
I know many of you have read my serious post too but I just thought I would mention this one is serious and not a joke.
Anyways, this post is to discuss some very easy ways to tell a counterfeit pin. I am sure many of you have noticed that the counterfeiters are doing a much better job at knocking off Disney Pins.
They have the back stamp down pretty good and there are some pins that if you did not know what to look for, you would swear they are real. The example I am going to use if not compared to an original pin would be hard to tell by the Mickey Pattern because there is NO BORDER and the releif is perfect. But of course, there are other telltale signs to look for.
Below I will point out what to look for and the things I am showing you hold true on almost all Disney Pins. One of the amazing things is that on some aspects, the counterfeit pins will have text that is a bit more clear because it is molded rather than die struck. I will explain below. Here we go.... (BTW, the reason there is a difference between a counterfeit and a scrapper "at least one difference" is a scrapper would be the proper thickness as you will see below)
Some of the subtilities to notice are the font used. The pin on the right is the real pin.
Notice the TOONTOWN print (font) on both pins. Another fine detail is size if the channel lines, the silver that separates the colors. On the real pin, the lines are much thicker. The pin on the left actually has more detail in the fingers on the left (your right) hand and that is their interpitation but is not correct. Look closley at the top of the head and the counterfeit has a slight point. Also the feet pattern is different. The real pin also should not actually have as much definition in the swirls and the color is completly different. Hopefully a picture tells a thousand words in this case and you can see many of the differences.
Now to the backs. First thing to notice and one of the biggest things to notice compared to the counterfeit pin below is that the marking on the back are die struck and are what's called concave. It is stamped into the pin. The disney Authentic seal is not raised and is not as clear as the counterfeit because the counterfeit is molded and not struck. Also, and a lot of people dont know this, but the nubs on the back of the pin are to help it stay in place and not move left or right and hang incorrectly. They are spaced from the pin back and larger than the counterfeit. When you see the next pin, you will totally see the difference between concave (sunk) and convex (raised)
This is the counterfeit pin. The scary thing is NOTICE HOW GOOD THE PATTERN IS...NO BORDER!
Notice that the disney seal is raised unlike the real pin. Again a picture tells a thousand words and you can clearly see the difference. This hold true on most all Disney Pins. You may have heard people say the star pattern around the seal should not be pointed. This is what they mean, when pressed, the ridges are not raised where you can feel them. Also, the nubs are right next to the post.
And finally, the reason I mention that there is a difference between a scrapper and counterfeit is a scrapper is a B or C grade pin made by a Disney Factory but not up to Disney standards. But the thickness of a scrapper would be the same as a real pin because it started as a real pin. Notice the difference in the thickness of the pins. The real pin is almost twice the thickness of the counterfeit pin.
If you look very closely you will also notice on the pin back that the real pin, obviously on the right, has notches all the way down the post where the counterfeit has none and just an enlarged end to keep the Mickey Rubber back in place. The notches make the rubber backs work great and also on pin boards because there is more grip.
Many of the things I have pointed out hold true for most pins but there are exceptions to every rule but as far as thickness, that is one of the easiest ways to tell with a quick glance. The weight is almost half of a real pin.
I hope you find this educational and it helps you to be a little more knowledgeable and aides you in making good trades you dont regret. Of course, if you get your pin in the mail, you won't know until you get it.
I know many of you have read my serious post too but I just thought I would mention this one is serious and not a joke.
Anyways, this post is to discuss some very easy ways to tell a counterfeit pin. I am sure many of you have noticed that the counterfeiters are doing a much better job at knocking off Disney Pins.
They have the back stamp down pretty good and there are some pins that if you did not know what to look for, you would swear they are real. The example I am going to use if not compared to an original pin would be hard to tell by the Mickey Pattern because there is NO BORDER and the releif is perfect. But of course, there are other telltale signs to look for.
Below I will point out what to look for and the things I am showing you hold true on almost all Disney Pins. One of the amazing things is that on some aspects, the counterfeit pins will have text that is a bit more clear because it is molded rather than die struck. I will explain below. Here we go.... (BTW, the reason there is a difference between a counterfeit and a scrapper "at least one difference" is a scrapper would be the proper thickness as you will see below)
Some of the subtilities to notice are the font used. The pin on the right is the real pin.
Notice the TOONTOWN print (font) on both pins. Another fine detail is size if the channel lines, the silver that separates the colors. On the real pin, the lines are much thicker. The pin on the left actually has more detail in the fingers on the left (your right) hand and that is their interpitation but is not correct. Look closley at the top of the head and the counterfeit has a slight point. Also the feet pattern is different. The real pin also should not actually have as much definition in the swirls and the color is completly different. Hopefully a picture tells a thousand words in this case and you can see many of the differences.
Now to the backs. First thing to notice and one of the biggest things to notice compared to the counterfeit pin below is that the marking on the back are die struck and are what's called concave. It is stamped into the pin. The disney Authentic seal is not raised and is not as clear as the counterfeit because the counterfeit is molded and not struck. Also, and a lot of people dont know this, but the nubs on the back of the pin are to help it stay in place and not move left or right and hang incorrectly. They are spaced from the pin back and larger than the counterfeit. When you see the next pin, you will totally see the difference between concave (sunk) and convex (raised)
This is the counterfeit pin. The scary thing is NOTICE HOW GOOD THE PATTERN IS...NO BORDER!
Notice that the disney seal is raised unlike the real pin. Again a picture tells a thousand words and you can clearly see the difference. This hold true on most all Disney Pins. You may have heard people say the star pattern around the seal should not be pointed. This is what they mean, when pressed, the ridges are not raised where you can feel them. Also, the nubs are right next to the post.
And finally, the reason I mention that there is a difference between a scrapper and counterfeit is a scrapper is a B or C grade pin made by a Disney Factory but not up to Disney standards. But the thickness of a scrapper would be the same as a real pin because it started as a real pin. Notice the difference in the thickness of the pins. The real pin is almost twice the thickness of the counterfeit pin.
If you look very closely you will also notice on the pin back that the real pin, obviously on the right, has notches all the way down the post where the counterfeit has none and just an enlarged end to keep the Mickey Rubber back in place. The notches make the rubber backs work great and also on pin boards because there is more grip.
Many of the things I have pointed out hold true for most pins but there are exceptions to every rule but as far as thickness, that is one of the easiest ways to tell with a quick glance. The weight is almost half of a real pin.
I hope you find this educational and it helps you to be a little more knowledgeable and aides you in making good trades you dont regret. Of course, if you get your pin in the mail, you won't know until you get it.